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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22431337">The Sickness</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jathis/pseuds/Jathis'>Jathis</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Beauty and the Beast (2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Flowers, Hanahaki Disease, Happy Ending, Kissing, M/M, Unrequited Love</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 04:15:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,320</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22431337</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jathis/pseuds/Jathis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When you love someone who doesn’t love you back, you start coughing up flower petals.</p>
<p>The only cure is to stop loving them or to confess your feelings and have them returned to you</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>LeFou &amp; Stanley (Disney: Beauty and the Beast), LeFou/Stanley (Disney: Beauty and the Beast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Sickness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is my first hanahaki fic</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>He felt the familiar tickle in the back of his throat, grunting as he tried to swallow the petals back down. Lefou had too much work to do today to get stopped by a coughing fit. Especially one brought on by…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bonjour, Monsieur Le Folliet! Collecting eggs for Gaston this morning?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oleander petals spilled from Lefou’s mouth as he coughed in surprise at the voice behind him. He clapped a hand over his mouth, hacking briefly into his palm before he was able to take a deep breath and control it. He turned, offering Stanley a smile as he put the petals into his pocket. “They won’t collect themselves,” he said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The young man hummed softly in agreement. He tilted his head, staring at Lefou with his sharp brown eyes that seemed so much wiser than his age would suggest. Slowly he reached out and he plucked a petal that had stuck to Lefou’s bottom lip. “...poisonous flowers,” he murmured.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well it might not be. It could be um…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Poisonous flowers means they’ll never return your love,” Stanley softly said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lefou blushed, swallowing down another coughing fit. “I need to get back to Gaston before he gets angry,” he wheezed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stanley watched him leave. He turned his head, coughing into his hand. He looked down at the red tulip petals and let them fall from his hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His sisters pretended to have the sickness. Stanley watched as the triplets took petals and put them in their mouths, hiding them under their tongues and waiting for the right moment to “cough them up”. More often than not it was around Gaston, who paid no attention.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He wished he could tell his big sisters that the sickness was painful and not something to be imitated. But then he would have to admit having it and then they would pester him until he finally confessed who his petals were for and that would just cause him no end of trouble.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead he coughed into a handkerchief when no one was looking, hiding the petals away in a small music box under his bed. One day he would be brave enough to try but for now, for now the petals increased in number.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stanley, whoever it is you need to say something! You’ve been hacking all damned night!” Dick cried.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He took a deep breath, just finishing another coughing fit that filled his mouth. He could only shake his head as Dick frowned. He spat the wet petals into a spittoon. “It’s not that simple…” he whispered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why?” Dick followed Stanley’s gaze and he blinked when he found himself looking at Lefou. He was seated beside Gaston’s chair, enchanting a small group of admirers with some tale about Gaston’s heroics while the man himself drank and looked pleased with himself. “Lefou?” he asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stanley winced and watched as Lefou suddenly started to choke. Gaston looked at the smaller man in confusion, slapping him on the back to try and help as the petals spilled from his mouth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No one said anything about the poisonous flowers or who they were for.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...that’s never going to happen. He loves Gaston too much,” Dick said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know,” Stanley said, coughing up a few petals into his mug.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gaston was dead. His own vanity had been his downfall, driving him to madness and then his death.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lefou stopped coughing up oleander petals. His sickness had left him once Gaston threatened him with the asylum. He was not sure if this was a blessing or a curse for him. At least he no longer had to worry about leaving the poisonous petals around for a child or animal to pick up or ingest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stanley’s sudden violent coughing fit had cut their dance short at the castle. Lefou had been incredibly worried, leading Stanley over to a table of drinks, rubbing his back to try and ease the pain. He could only watch as tulip petals spilled from Stanley’s full lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tulips were for true love. Lefou wondered who it was Stanley suffered for. He pressed a glass of water into his hand, urging him to drink when there was a lull in the coughing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll be okay,” Lefou assured him with a smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You think so?” Stanley hoarsely asked, looking at him with watery eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oui, you should just tell whoever you love how you feel. You’re handsome and talented with needle and fabric; anyone would be lucky to be loved by you!” he said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stanley could only hum in reply before another fit overtook him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>***</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lefou wasn’t expecting any guests, especially not right as the sun was rising and the rooster was still shaking sleep from itself before it could crow. Yet there was the unmistakable sound of someone softly knocking on his door and he quickly threw on a pair of breeches, opening the door with blurry eyes. “Huh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lefou,” Stanley said. He blushed when he saw the other’s disheveled appearance and he coughed once, shifting on his feet before he turned his head to spit the petals out of his mouth. “Is this a bad time?” he asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hm? Oh, non! Non, it’s fine. Come in. I’m still just waking up,” Lefou assured him with a soft laugh. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to sleeping peacefully throughout the entire night without being woken up by a choking fit,” he said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know the feeling,” Stanley agreed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lefou turned to him again, worry on his face. “You didn’t talk to them yet?” he asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Non, not yet.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stanley! You have nothing to worry about! Your petals aren’t poisonous, you have a chance!” Lefou said. He shook his head at the other, running a hand through his hair. “Sit. I’ll put the kettle on for tea.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stanley did as he was told, sitting down at the kitchen table as he watched Lefou start to wake up as he bustled about. His hair was pulled back in an orderly ponytail by the time he returned with the cups of tea, looking less ragged and more like the man that was usually seen around the village. “Merci,” Stanley said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lefou watched Stanley drink, tilting his head to the side in thought. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>do </span>
  </em>
  <span>intend on telling this person, right?” he asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You think I should?” Stanley asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oui! You don’t want to end up like me. My sickness only ended because Gaston finally showed his true self that night. If he hadn’t done that I...well I suppose I wouldn’t be here, would I?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stanley nodded a little. He cleared his throat to cut off another urge to cough, reaching into the pocket of his coat. He pulled out a small music box and set it down in front of Lefou. It was a plain wooden box, polished to a shine. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What is this?” Lefou asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Open it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lefou frowned a little but set his cup down. He opened the lid of the box and blinked in surprise at all of the petals inside of it. “Stanley?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s you,” Stanley whispered, “it was always you. Your heart belonged to Gaston and I knew you would never stop loving him. I kept these. I suppose I just hoped…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His words were cut off by Lefou’s lips pressed to his own. For a moment there was shock and then it slowly melted away as he started to return the kiss. He sighed against his mouth and Lefou’s tongue brushed against his lips before he opened. Lefou’s hands were on either side of his face, holding him close as they tasted each other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was only because of lack of air that they parted, panting as they stared into each other’s eyes. “Red tulips...true love...for me?” Lefou asked. Stanley nodded and he laughed, tears of happiness rolling down his cheeks before he pulled him into another deep kiss, knowing nothing would stop it save for the need to breathe.</span>
</p>
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